The silhouette of a skier slides in the darkness at Skyline Sports Complex in 2008. A track for skiers has been groomed again this week at the park in southwest Bend.

A 1-kilometer cross-country skate ski loop has been packed and groomed at Skyline Sports Complex in southwest Bend, near Cascade Middle School, according to a news release.

Initial grooming took place on Monday night, and park lights remain on until 9 p.m., allowing for night skiing on in-town snow.

“Skiing is overall quite good,” said J.D. Downing, director of XC Oregon. “It is a skate pad only as the snow isn’t quite deep enough to safely put in a classic track. Everything is flat terrain so it’s perfect for all abilities.”

Downing added that the groomed track should remain through the weekend, maybe longer, depending on temperatures.

The in-town grooming is a collaborative effort with contributions from XC Oregon, Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation, Bend Metro Park & Recreation, and gear donated by Meissner Nordic.

This season the grooming is in a “proof of concept” phase during which public support can be built to upgrade equipment and receive support to groom several in-town locations whenever 8 to 10 inches of snow is forecast to last a week or more in Bend.

For more information, email jd@xcoregon.org or call 541-317-0217.

—Bulletin staff report